According to the 2018 Voices for Alabama's Kids Count Data Book, one in four of Alabama children live in poverty compared to one in five nationally. These families face many struggles each day to care for their families. In a recent study of children in poor families, neuroscientists found that differences in brain structure were particularly present in areas involved in memory, language-processing, decision-making and self-control.

While we cannot solve poverty for these families, we can provide opportunities for each child to develop a healthy brain and be ready to enter school ready to learn.